U.S. confirms pending Cuba travel relaxation

The Obama administration confirmed Monday that it will soon ease some restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans and on the remittances they send to relatives on the island.

“We can expect some relaxation, some changes in terms of the restrictions on family remittances and family travel,” Jeffrey Davidow, the White House adviser for the upcoming Summit of the Americas, told reporters.

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“We are engaged in a continual evaluation of our policy and how that policy could help result in a change in Cuba that could bring about a democratic society,” he said. “Cuban-Americans are the best possible ambassadors of our system and our values.”

President Obama is scheduled to attend the summit next week in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Bush administration came under intense pressure to ease the travel and financial embargo on Cuba but decided against such a move. There are an estimated 1.5 million Americans with relatives in Cuba.

Some members of Congress are also lobbying the White House to end U.S. opposition to Cuba’s membership in the Organization of American States.

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About the Author

Nicholas Kralev is The Washington Times’ diplomatic correspondent. His travels around the world with four secretaries of state — Hillary Rodham Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright — as well as his other reporting overseas trips inspired his new weekly column, “On the Fly.” He is a former writer for the weekend edition of the Financial Times and ...